According to the cybersecurity company Recorded Future, hacker groups from North Korea have reportedly appropriated around $3 billion in assets since the year 2017.
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BlueNoroff, a notorious North Korean hacker group known for numerous phishing and cyberattacks since 2019, has turned its sights on crypto firms with a new strain of malware specifically designed to infiltrate MacOS computers.
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As detailed in a report by SentinelLabs, this malware campaign, dubbed “Hidden Risk,” is delivered in multiple stages through malicious PDF files. The attackers employ fake news headlines and genuine-looking crypto market research to entice unsuspecting victims, both individuals and organizations.
When a user downloads the PDF, a legitimate-looking decoy document is opened to avoid suspicion, while the malware quietly installs itself as a separate file on the MacOS desktop. This tactic allows the attack to go unnoticed while the malicious software gains a foothold on the system.
The malware package includes a suite of functions that provide BlueNoroff with a backdoor, enabling remote access to compromised computers. The primary goal of the hackers is to steal sensitive information, such as private keys for digital asset wallets and access credentials for cryptocurrency platforms.
FBI Issues Warning About North Korean Hackers
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has repeatedly issued warnings about BlueNoroff, a subgroup of the Lazarus hacking collective, and other cybercriminals linked to the North Korean regime. Over the past several years, these alerts have highlighted the escalating threats posed by these state-sponsored attackers.
In April 2022, the FBI, in collaboration with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), raised concerns specifically aimed at crypto firms. They urged companies to implement precautionary measures to defend against the sophisticated techniques employed by North Korean hacking groups targeting the digital asset industry.
Despite the warnings, BlueNoroff continued its malicious activities. By December 2022, the group had launched another major phishing campaign, this time focusing on companies and banks. The hackers registered over 70 fake domain names, masquerading as well-known venture capital firms, to deceive victims and infiltrate their systems, with the aim of stealing significant funds.
The FBI provided a fresh update in September 2024, reporting that the Lazarus Group had resorted to social engineering to steal cryptocurrency. The hackers targeted employees of centralized exchanges and decentralized finance firms, enticing them with fake job offers. This tactic was designed to trick victims into unwittingly sharing access to sensitive financial data.
The phishing strategy involved building trust over time. Hackers established relationships with their targets, gradually gaining credibility before sending links that appeared to be employment tests or applications. These malicious links, when clicked, compromised victims’ systems and drained funds from desktop wallets, causing significant financial losses.
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